DeKalb County’s first winter weather brings slick, slushy road conditions

SYCAMORE – DeKalb County saw its first snowfall of the season Thursday, and motorists were treated during the morning commute to slick and slushy conditions.

Flurries started Wednesday night and continued overnight into Thursday. A wind advisory remains in effect for the area through 8 p.m., with 20 to 30 mph winds and 45 mph gusts expected to make rural driving more hazardous, according to the National Weather Service.

As of 10 a.m., about five and a half hours after DeKalb County sheriff’s deputies first reported snow covered roadways to county officials, all DeKalb County highways had been plowed and treated with salt, officials said.

DeKalb County Engineer Nathan Schwartz, who’s tasked with running the DeKalb County Highway Department, said anyone who’s able to work remotely would have been wise to stay in their main digs Thursday morning.

“The first winter storm of the season is always a little bit more of a challenge because it seems like people are not in the winter driving frame of mind yet,” Schwartz said. “Once we get to the second and third [snowfall] I think people are being a little bit more cautious and taking a little bit more time to get to their destinations.”

“Whenever there is a chance of winter weather it’s always good to be a little bit more conservative, take a little bit more time getting to work, leave early. Be aware that road conditions may change as you turn around a corner, especially when it’s windy.”

—  Nathan Schwartz, county engineer

The DeKalb County Highway Department’s snowplow team monitored the weather and road conditions as snow began to fall Wednesday night and were called into action as early morning commuters began to take to the roads.

“At about 5:30 [a.m.] this morning the Sheriff’s Office reported that they were starting to see a little bit of some slick areas on Peace Road and Plank Road,” Schwartz said. “At that time we called out all of our trucks, and we have a dozen different routes where we have trucks, and we went out and started salting all of our roads.”

DeKalb County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Jim Burgh said less than thirty minutes later sheriff’s deputies responded to a single-vehicle rollover crash involving a van at the intersection of Peace Road and Route 38. No one was injured in the crash, Burgh said.

As of 10:30 a.m. DeKalb County sheriff’s deputies have responded to four different instances of cars sliding off roads, including the van rollover due to weather conditions. No injuries were reported in those crashes, however.

“Outside of that, we really haven’t had too much. The roads are in good shape now. There was just some slick spots, throughout on different roads, but it was kind of county wide,” Burgh said.

Burgh said the Sheriff’s Office has a strong relationship with the Highway Department and deputies always feels empowered to notify the department when road conditions deteriorate.

For the 2024-2025 winter, DeKalb County has a $307,481 contract for 4,025 tons of bulk rock salt. The county has started the season with 5,500 tons of salt at the DeKalb County Highway maintenance yards in DeKalb and Waterman, Schwartz said.

Now that the first snowfall has officially arrived in DeKalb County, Schwartz said travelers ought to rethink the time their routes could take, and stay aware of road conditions.

“Whenever there is a chance of winter weather it’s always good to be a little bit more conservative, take a little bit more time getting to work, leave early,” Schwartz said. “Be aware that road conditions may change as you turn around a corner, especially when it’s windy. There might be patchy areas in some areas but not other areas.”

Burgh suggested drivers take precautions to prepare for adverse weather events while on the roads.

“We’re moving into the winter season, so be prepared and slow down,” Burgh said. “Contact us if they have an emergency and please make sure you have a full tank of gas.”